— By David Walsh
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Taimu Okiyoshi got his first points of the season and Matthew Bell struck for yet another goal to lead No. 6 Marshall past Robert Morris, 3-1, in men’s soccer Tuesday night in front of 1,059 fans at Hoops Family Field/Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex.
Okiyoshi got the assist on the Thundering Herd’s first goal as Joao Souza took his pass and fired a right-foot shot into the left corner of the goal at 36:02.
Late in the match, Bell made a run down the middle as Alexander Adjetey did a sprint down the left side with the ball. He made the cross and Bell buried the feed to make it 2-0 at 83:13.
Bell’s goal was his eighth which leads the team and Sun Belt Conference.
The scrappy Colonials of the Horizon League countered quickly with Anass Hadran getting his first of the season at 84:37.
Okiyoshi responded with his first goal when a ball went off a Robert Morris defender to him in the box and he banged it home.
Herd coach Chris Grassie saw the night as the Herd did enough to survive.
“As long as we can take the result,” Grassie said. “Not a great game. We created a lot of chances. We were not fluid and didn’t press well enough.”
Okiyoshi said on his assist, he knew where Souza would be.
“I knew he’d run there and it went where I wanted,” he said. “On my goal, I didn’t think [the ball] was coming to me. It went off their guy, the ball comes to me again and I finished this time.”
Tuesday’s match was a break after three tough Sun Belt contests.
“We had to focus on ourselves,” Okiyoshi said. “We did what we needed to do.”
Herd keeper Oliver Semmle had one save on two shots on goal.
Marshall improves to 6-1-2, 1-0-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. The No. 6 Herd resumes league play Saturday against South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.
Robert Morris, on a four-match skid, is 3-6-1, and 2-2-1 in Horizon League action.
Bell, a freshmen from Kingston, Jamaica, stepped up Tuesday.
“He has all the skills in the world,” Grassie said. “That’s why he’s got those positions.”
Saturday’s 1-1 tie at Coastal Carolina caused the Herd the fall from third to sixth in the United Soccer Coaches/NCAA Top 25.
The all-time series with Robert Morris now stands at 5-5-1. The Herd has won the last two meetings.